Lateral adjuster for surveying instruments.



W. A. BERGER. LATEBAL ADJUSTER Pon SURVBYING INSTRUMENTS.

.APPLIGATONFILBD JUNE 10, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Illll'll W. A.' BERGER. LATERAL `ADJUSTEB. FOR. SUEVEYING INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIGATII'ON FYI-'LED JUNE 1o, 1907.

Patented Apr. 20,'1909.

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WILLIAM A. BERGER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LATERAL ADJUSTR FOR SURVEYIN INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.`

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed. June 10, 1907. Serial N0. 378,198.

dated April 1, 1902, and No. 839,541, dated December 25, 1906, whereby the entire instrument including the leveling screws or whatever means is employed for leveling the instrument is mounted on a shifting plate, which in turn is carried by a lateral adjuster, whereby said instrument and its leveling means may be shifted` with the shifting plate without disturbing a previously made adjustment of the leveling means. Having rough-centered the instrument by means of the shifting plate thus mounted, it is brought into accurate position by the slow-motion longitudinalV movement of thelateral adjuster.

My' invention embodies further features whereby various vconstructional details are eliminated and simplied, the height of the surveying instrument is not materially increased, the rough-shifting plate or centering plate for the instrument proper rests on the lateral adjuster plates, the instrument is capable of direct use as a tripod device or as a trivet device, etc., all as will be made more fully apparent in the course of the following description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The invention is applicable to any instrument "having a sighting device, such as a telescope with cross wires used for measuring purposes, z'. c., with any surveying or measuring instrument for. use in tunnels, mines, or on the surface or otherwise.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is la top plan view and Fig. 2 a side elevation of an instrument embodying my invention; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View thereof, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration; Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views respectively of the shifting plate and slide plate; and Fig. 6 is a cross sectional detail showing the guiding arrangement of the lateral adjuster plates.

As the general purpose and operationof a lateral adjuster are fully set forth in the patents before mentioned, I refer therefor to said patents, and confine myself herein to the improvements which constitute my invention.

The supporting head 1 of the instrument, which, in my present invention, constitutes the guide plate as well as the head of the tripod and trivet of the instrument, has preferably three ends 2 for receiving the usual bifurcated ends 3 of the tripod, betweenwhich I secure short depending, studlike, legs 4 in such position that they do not interfere in any way with the normal tripod use of the instrument, and yet are ready at all times for stoping, tunnels, subway work, or other' low-work. The top of the head or guide plate l is flat to receive the complemental slide plate 5 in guided relation thereto, one of said plates being provided with guide ways, `and the other with coperating guiding means such as a boss, the slide plate being herein shown as provided with bosses 6, 7, and the guide plate or head is provided with slots or ways 8, 9 for receiving and accurately directing said bosses, the cooperating engaging surface of said parts being slightly wedge-shaped, as shown more clearly in Fig. 6. The boss or lug 7 has an internally threaded projecting clampingend IOKengaged by an adjusting screw 11, whose shoulder 12 is held between the adjacent wall 13 of the guide plate and a crossv plate fixed thereon. The screw 11 has a peculiar thumb nut or head at its outer end by which it is turned, best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where it will be seen that it consists of an indicator wheel 15 whose points or angular projections correspond to aliquot parts of a unit of measurement of the distance traversed by the top plate or slide plate on the bottom or guide plate as the screw is turned; and in front of the thumb nut or wheel 15, and formed as a part thereof, is a star wheel or radially ribbed projection 16 for aiding the operator in determining by feeling (e. g.

in tunnel work) the exact distance to which he has shifted the top part of the telescope by rotating'the screw 11. The ribbed outer end 16 is also provided to receive a wrench in case it should `be desired to move the llC Cri

Vmounted on my attachment.

instrument more readily than convenient for thumb adjustment. The slide plate has a projecting shelf 17 overhanging the screw 11 and its turning means 15, 16, so as to protect them at all times from accidental injury by dropping gravel, stone, or the like, (as often happens in mine work). The top surface 18 oi' the slide plate 5 is plane, see Figs. 2, 3, and 5. Resting flat upon this surface 18 is a shifting carrying plate or ring 19, preferably triangular in general shape and provided with foot rests 20, in whose V-shaped grooves rest the usual levelingV screws 21 of the instrument which is This instrument may be a theo'dolite, mining transit, or any otherl instrument of such a nature as to require accurate lateral adjustment, and hence l have omitted to show and describe the details thereof, simply showing the head or base support 22 of the head. The carrying plate or shifting plate or ring 19 is provided with 'clamping means for securing it in shifted position on lthe lateral adjuster portion of the apparatus, said means herein consisting of an arm or flat projection 28, slotted at 24 to receive a set screw 25, having threaded engagement with the slide plate 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 1-3. The interior of the head or guide plate 1 is hollow or cylindrical in usual manner, as indicated at 26, for receiving the threaded end of a usual clamping ring 27, and the instrument proper is secured in place by a usual hollowr shifting post 28, whose upper end 29 engages the depending Istud or stein 30 of the instrument proper, being clamped by a nut 31, spring 32, and adjusting nut 33 in usual manner.

At 34 I have indicated the usual chain or i hook for receiving the plumb bob cord (not shown).

At 35 the head or guide plate l is provided with a scale extending parallel to the direction of sliding movement of the slide plate, which has a finger or angular projection 36 for indicating the relative position of the two plates 1 and 5. rI he normal or Vcentral position of said platesr is further indicated by alining notches and projections, a pointer 8i' on the plate 1 and notch 3S on the plate 5 being shown herein at the corners of said plates at either side of the adjusting screw.

ln use, the lateral adjuster is first brought to its center with relation to the tripod or trivet support, indicated by the alining or' the pointers and notches 37, 38. The triangular shitting or carrying plate 19 is also brought to its center, indicated readily to the operator by feeling an equal space all about it on the sliding plate. The entire instrument is then set up in such a position that the motion of the lateral adjuster is at right angles to the line of sight, which will ordinarily bring the adjusting screw or other device 11, 15 adjacent the right hand et the operator. The instrument is then leveled up in usual manner by the leveling screws 2l, and roughly centered or oriented by sliding the shitting plate 19 in whatever direction is required in order to bring the sighting instrument or telescope approximately on the target or other distant object. The shitting carrying plate l5) is then clamped imniovably on the slide plate 5 by means ot the thumb screw 'lhereujmu the operator rotates the adjusting screw ll :t'orward or bach 'ard as the case may require until the cross wires ot the telescope zufein'ately bisect the object being sighted.

)is the lateral adjuster' plates 1 and 5 are low down, and preferably then'iselves constitute practically the tripod head, all danger ot even the minutest inaccuracy which might be due to the raised and more or less complicated adjustments and positions ol the parts in the before mentioned lateral adjusters is eliminated. Not only is the lateral adjuster' brought down tothe tripod or trivet itself, but the broad plane triangular shape oli' the two plates, resting lat down upon each other throughout substantially their entire area, aiiords at all times a broad base and precise alinement or maintenance et level. idoreover, by having the shitting plate `llat upon the top of the lateral adjuster plates, l not only bring the instrument down much more compact'ly than in the previous devices re't'erred to, but the rough centering oi' the instrument is accomplished more readily, as the shitting plate supports merely the instrument huid proper. liy having the pins or legs l located in the guide plate as shown, they do not 'interfere in any way with the usual tripod use ot the apparatus, and yet render the instrument always serviceable tor trivet use wherever the exigencies ot the position reduire ii. l preferably provide any suitable means, as holes 3S), to be engaged by a spanner or pin tor tightening or removing said legs l it required.

already stated, i do not intend to restrict my invention to any particular hind ot mining transit or other instrument, and l wish it also understood that my invention is capable ot' a wide range oi'f physical embodiments without' departing` trom the spirit and scope et the invention as defined in the claims.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. lateral adjuster tor measuring iustruments, comprising a movable slide plate. a guide plaie restricting said slide plate to rectilinear movement in one direction only, a superposed shitting plate mounted on .said slide plate to slide freely thereon in all directions for rough-centering the instrun'ient, and means for securing the instrument, in-

cluding its leveling means, in place above said shifting plate whereby the instrument may be moved with said shifting plate and also with said slide plate without disturbing a previously made adjustment of the leveling means.

2. A lateral adjuster for measuring -instruments, comprising `a slide plate and a guide plate relatively movable in a longitudinal direction only, a superposed shifting plate mounted thereon to slide freely in all directions for rough-centering the instrument, and means for securing the instrument including its leveling screws in place above said shifting plate. y

3. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising two lateral adjuster plates having widely extended plane contacting surfaces on their adjacent sides, one plate being provided with narrow alining grooves and the opposite plate with narrow projecting bosses litting said grooves, slowmotion adjusting meansin line with said bosses for moving one of said plates with relation to the other, and means for supporting and securing an instrument head above said plates. v

L A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising two lateral adjuster plates having widely extended plane surfaces on their adjacent sides, one plate being provided with narrow alining grooves and the opposite plate with narrow projecting bosses fitting said grooves, slow-motion adjusting means for moving one of said plates with relation to the other, said means containing a screw havingV an externally projecting head provided with two sets of radial points, the outer set being in the form of ribs, and means for supporting and securing an instrument head above said plates.

5. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising two lateral adjuster plates having widely extended plane surfaces on their adjacent sides, one plate being provided with narrow alining grooves and the opposite plate with narrow projecting bosses fitting said grooves, slow-motion adjusting mea-ns for moving one of said plates with relation to the other, said means containing a screw having an externally projecting head provided with two sets of radial points, the outer set being in the form of ribs, the top plate carrying a protector overhanging said projecting head, and means for supporting and securing an instrument head above said plates.

G. A lateral adjuster forV measuring instruments, comprising a slide plate and a guide plate relatively -movable longitudinally, the top one of said plates having a plane surface, a shifting carrying plate movable laterally in all directions lying iiat on said plane surface and provided with means for supporting above it an instrument head, and means for clamping said shifting plate to said top plate independently of the under plate.

7. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising a slide plate and a guide plate relatively movable longitudinally,'the top one of said plates having a pla-ne top surface,.a shifting carrying plate slidingly mounted hat on said plane surface for movement bodily in all directions and provided with means for supporting above 1t an instrument head,fmeans `for clamping said shifting plate to said top plate independently of the under plate, and means for clamping all three plates immovably together.

8. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising a slide plate and a guide plate relatively movable longitudinally, the top one of said plates having a plane top surface, a shifting plate lying liat upon said plane surface and provided with a slotted arm, and a clamping screw having threaded engagement through said slot with said top plate for clamping the shifting plate immovably thereon.

`9. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising an instrument head, supporting means therefor, a head plate provided with means for receiving a tripod, stud-like supports depending from adjacent the outer ends of said head plate in position away out of interference with the tripod, an intermediate plate resting in direct Contact with said head plate, said head plate and intermediate plate being provided with cooperating alining means for directing the intermediate plate longitudinally in its movement on the head plate, and slow-motion adjusting means therefor.

10. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising a branching head plate having a t'lat top surface, a coperating plate mounted to slide on said top surface, said two` plates having complemental alining and guiding means for accurately limiting said sliding movement to longitudinal direction, slow-motion adjusting means.` for said movement, said two plates having on either side of said adjusting means indicating means located adjacent the ends of the branches of the head plate for indicating .to the touch when the plates are in normal alined position, and means for securing an instrument head in place above the top plate.

l1. A lateral adjuster for measuring instruments, comprising a head plate, a cooperating plate mounted to slide on the top surface of said head plate, saidtwo plates having complemental lalining and guiding means for accurately limiting said sliding movement to longitudinal direction, slow motion adjusting means for said movement, the top one of said two plates having in its top surface means for receiving` and positioning the leveling screws of an instrument head, and means foi' securing an instrument head in place above said top plate.

12. A lateral adjusteil for measuiing, instruments, oompising a branching head plate, removable stud-like legs seem-ed to its nndeil side at the outei1 ends of its bi'anohes as a tiivet support, a lateral. adjuster plate mounted on the top of Oaid head plate, said two plates havingcooperating means 3t`oil maintaining aeouiate longitudinal movement of one with relation to the other, slowmotion means for producing said mm'ement7 and means including ay universally movable shifting' eaiiying; plate mounted on said lateral adjustei' plate ttor seeming an instrument head and its vertical adjusting;` sei'enfs above the top plate.

ln testimony n'liei'eol, l have signed my name to this specilieatioi'i, in the otesel'ue ol" two subscribing witnesses.

YH LLL'' A B llll G l R. lVitnesses Gao. H. illaxwnLL, EDWARD lilAXWnLL. 

